Sir Nicholas Young, chief executive of the British Red Cross, has announced he will step down from the organisation following the recent death of his son.
Young, who has been with the British Red Cross for 20 years, 13 as its chief executive, plans to leave the organisation at the end of August. He will work part-time during that period.
Mike Adamson, managing director of operations at the British Red Cross, will act as chief executive while a permanent successor is sought.
In a letter to staff, Young said following the recent death of his son Alex, he wanted more time to focus on helping his family recover from the bereavement. He said: “I have loved my time with the British Red Cross like nothing else I have ever done.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to lead the British Red Cross and I will deeply miss being part of such a wonderful, warm and talented global family.”
Young has had a wide-ranging career in the charity sector. He has been the chief executive of the British Red Cross since July 2001 and has travelled widely to countries where the Red Cross is active, including visiting countries affected by the Asian tsunami as well as Iraq, Zimbabwe, North Korea and Syria.
Young has also been chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Relief and spent five years with the Sue Ryder Foundation setting up Sue Ryder Homes.
He was knighted in the year 2000 for services to cancer care and was given the Queen's Badge of Honour in 2013.
In 2011, Young won the Outstanding Leadership Award at The Charity Awards.
A British Red Cross spokeswoman said: "During the course of his leadership Sir Nick has shaped the British Red Cross into the successful, compassionate and beneficiary-focused organisation it is today.
"We are a leading force in the humanitarian sector reaching millions of people each year in the UK and operating in over 25 countries overseas.
"We are enormously thankful to Sir Nick for all his hard work. He is extremely well liked by staff and volunteers here at the British Red Cross, and will be very sadly missed."
